Myrbein - Myrornas Krig (1981)

Artista: Myrbein

Álbum: Myrornas Krig
Año: 1981
Género: RIO / Avant-Prog
Duración: 46:27
Nacionalidad: Suecia

Lista de Temas:
1. Intruder
2. De Fyra Stånden
3. G-Gosa
4. Raus
5. Cést Une Tre`s Bonne Maison
6. Bara Du
7. Gånglåt Till Peson
8. Ur Spår!
9. Gjästsvamp
10. Kurt På Taket
11. Är Du Förvirrad
12. Disco-Baby

Alineación:
- Bosse Lindberg / guitar, trumpet, guitar-synthesizer
- Mats Kroulhein / piano, organ, clarinet
- Anders Lönnkvist / percussion, vocals
- Johan von Sydow / bass, trombone, vocals

Acá va otra rareza traída de mano del Mago Alberto, un grupo sueco (otro!) que lanzó éste único album con un sonido similar a Samla Mammas Manna pero al mismo tiempo revolucionario para su época.

Imagine Egg and Samla Mammas Manna gone heavy prog/metal/post-punk, King Crimson and Zappa, with more strict catchy avant-prog attitude. It's mathematic but free, it's funny but serious and dark / full sounding. Henry Cow gone punky and combined it with Swedish funny schlager, but in a cool way.
I love the slashing drums and the surprising math.

Fastro

Progresivo, RIO y Avant-Prog jodón, esa es la categoría donde los pone el Mago. Hasta ahí todo bien, pero... ¿era necesario meterme en el comentario?. Para presentar al disco vamos con el comentario del Mago Alberto, que por supuesto viene con palo hacia mi persona incluido, como no podía ser de otra manera:

Bueno, he aquí otra rareza en lossles para el blog cabezon, trío sueco formado en 1977, transformandose en cuarteto en 1979 y grabando su única producción en 1981, en sus comienzos hacian covers de King Crimson, 801, Henry Cow y gentuza de aquella época, tenían una impronta cómica en sus composiciones, casi circense, sonidos muy experimentales para la época, y sonaban realmente muy extravagantes.
La incorporación del cuarto integrante en voz, teclados y clarinete le dio un vuelco a tanto cover y los lanzó directamente a buscar su propia senda compositiva, siendo el resultado de transitar ese camino esta obra titulada "Myrornas Krig" (Guerra de hormigas), un trabajo que los muestra díscolos, atrevidos, muy progresivos. Se nota la influencia zappanezca y crimsoniana, pero también desarrollan su tinte sueco en melodías tradicionales, mezcladas con todos esos cliches típicos que sacudían al mundo en aquella época.
Myrbein quizas no figure en los libros potencialmente históricos y académicos dedicados a la música, pero dejaron este trabajo que refresca el oído progre, y le da parametros para medir que se cocinaba en los reinos de Asterix, inundados de largas cabelleras y barbas rojas e intoxicados de cerveza, en aquellos años.
Los suecos siempre suenan arriesgados, divertidos, suenan como si estuvieran de joda todo el tiempo (como el Vampiro) todo esto queda en evidencia en estos suecos de Myrbein.
Este proyecto progresivo finaliza con un cover de King Crimson, nada más y nada menos que "Larks Thongues in Aspic II", atrevida versión de la cual salen mas que airosos.
Este disco fue remasterizado y retocado en 1993, esta es la copia nueva, así que gracias a la tecnología van a disfrutar de viejos sonidos nuevos.
Otra pieza de colección que el buen catador guardará en su rigido, el ave de paso solo picoteara como come el alpiste, y después... te fuiste.

Alberto

¿Jodón yo? pero quijoputa! por favor, no le crean a este hombre... mejor miren otros comentarios que no hacen alusión a mi persona.

This is great stuff! Be patient, and the music will grow on you. Yes, it can be difficult on the ear and certainly not so easy to dance to (not impossible though, trust me). But persist, and you will find that this album offers a phenomenally different view on just how music can be constructed - or deconstructed. No, there are no individual direct influences. In my opinion, it is all a result of twisted young minds and a particularly succesful case of cross- fertilization - all across the register. I was there when it happened and a great fan at the time. It still sounds fantastic to me today, so I am sure that others will like it too. The same strange genetics that created Zappa, Fripp and others surely were at play here, but again no, this is no simple derivative music. It is truly unique, truly genius.

Herr Goé

Myrbein is drastic and original avant-prog band. Swedish avant-garde folk jazz humour (eg. Samla Mammas Manna) is present both in vocals and even parodic experimentation. I don't usually like parodic music or even humour in music, but this is somehow so serious, maybe because the music is also very dark and heavy, reminding me of some Zeuhl bands like PSEU and ALTAÏS, and maybe even more RUINS. So it's almost technical metal sometimes, but also symphonic enough - the red line is there, though the music is complex. This album is also suitable for EGG fans, because there's eg. some kind of mathematical minimalism and organ. Instruments are quite rough, heavy, full-sounding here. Rapid changes applies to the experimental mood, too. The overall impression is harmonic, but there's for example some kind of short operatic lovely avant-garde song and weird funky disco. This music is likewise for KC's "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Pt. II" fans, because this music has some same touch. See their website for music. I love it, and I think you should, too.

Roni Kantola

Here's a RIO oriented album that isn't a chore to enjoy. Myrornas Krig is a fusion of rock grooves in quirky metres, jazziness, traditional folk and dance forms and plenty of humour. Most of the songs are short - making the album feel like a sketchbook of exceptional musical themes - but fleshed-out and varied throughout their duration. A harder degree of rock is in evidence here than on the relevant and passingly similar Stormy Six releases.
Three stars because the album doesn't really have a centerpiece and suffers slightly from stop-start RIO syndrome - no long notes and the occasional 7/8 time signature that doesn't enhance the song - but don't let my personal reservations put you off.

Lolo Iamnhnia

The instrumental parts are impeckable and sheer progressive music of high standards. But the presence of silly voices makes it difficult for me to rate it higher than 4 stars. The whole project is presented as a joke and as something you shouldn't take seriously. This album is sometimes compared with Samla Mammas Manna's Familjesprickor which is an album with consistent raw energy and edge. Likewise it is compared with Kultivator's Barndomens Stigar which is a terrific raw and serious album (no jokes). The mixing of humor and music seldom gives high marks. These guys play also cucumber and vacuumcleaner. 4 stars it is.

uffepuffelingonsylt

Of all RIO bands heading from Sweden Myrbein probably is the hardest one on the ear, sounding like a grittier (but equally as amusing) Zamla Mammaz Manna during 'Familjesprickor'. Overall very experimental but with a good dose of offbeat and very scandinavian humor, with some really jerky music to reflect this. Very frantic and restless compositions backed up with some really solid musicianship, especially on tracks like "Kurt på Taket" and "Är du Förvirrad?", the music rarely stays in one place for long and the whole thing is really a rollercoaster ride. Occasional vocals are present, sung in Swedish with silly lyrics and confirms their humoristic sense. Parallels to bands like King Crimson, Samla Mammas Manna and Zappa are obvious but they still manage to do their own thing really well.
Not easy to find on CD these days due to it's limited distrubution, but their homepage allows you to download the whole album on mp3 legally for free in addition to bonus live material from the same sessions as this album was recorded. That also includes an excellent live performance of King Crimson's "Lark's Tongues in Aspic, Part II", who was added to the CD release as a bonus track. Fans of the RIO/Avant genre should definitely check this album out, not essential but excellent nevertheless.

Björnar Lunde

Quirky Swedish avant-prog that seems to bear hints of King Crimson and Frank Zappa. The erratic shifts in tempo and time signatures are great, as are the Swedish vocals. They make no sense to me. I showed them to a Swedish character and he found the music unlistenable. Why? The stupid lyrics. It makes me think of how some Americans can't seem to get into Zappa because of his penchant for verbal shenanigans. And, well, the guy was a god in Europe. I guess they just heard the music and considered the vocals a fun but undecipherable texture that complemented the totality of the work. And so it is with Myrbein. Heaven knows what kind of dumb utterances they're unleashing upon the world. What matters is that these cats can play some uber-complex music.

WalterDigsTunes

Starting out as a Crimson cover band in the mid-70's, by the time Myrbein released their sole album in 81, they had become a full-blown RIO group (with some Zeuhl touches and some definite Canterbury twists), obviously inspired by their countrymen of Samla Manna Mama (who were in their Von Zamla phase in the early 80's). You will also find some Zappa quirks, some grotesque/burlesque (future) Miriodor attitudes, some Present ambiances, some Wyatt weirdness, a few GG reminiscences, frequent time sig changes, and a general Muffin-based policy of ever-changing musical themes and ideas.
In some ways, they remind me a lot of the other sole-album group from Sweden, Kultivator, who released their album roughly around the same time. The quartet manages to intrigue, baffle, dazzle, amuse and even irritate (sometimes all at once), as the succession of short tracks is rather aimless (only half of them are sung) and can lose the listener. In many ways a lot of groups that will be categorized later as Avant- prog will take many of the traits and characteristics you will find here on this album. Of the 12 (rather-short) tracks making the album, you will be taken through a wild but weird series of climates ranging from the absurd folk theme of Fyra Standen (all of the members are multi-instrumentalists and they can make a full brass section) to the more serious RIO climates of Raus, silly singing (the Swedish language being sung is not helping in this matter) and all-around over-abundant energy (they seemed like a wild bunch on stage, by the looks of the photos), a semi Hatfieldian-Present feel of Kurt Pa Taket and an ever-ending stream of short humorous music ideas, that never hang around long enough (sometimes this is very frustrating, as you'd like them to expand on the idea) for you to get used to them.
The Cd reissue comes with a Crimson LTIA Pt2 cover recorded in 93 for the reissue, which adds nothing to the original or the album. Rather spectacular aural pleasure, even if a trained ear is a must to approach such a weird album. While not exactly what I would call essential RIO/Avant, this is exactly the type of album that will give a good depth to your collection, along with the afore-mentioned Kultivator album.

Sean Trane

5/5 stars!! Great album!! You can easily find King Crimson`s guitar`s Style, Zappa`s kind of humour, and the typical Scandinavian way to sing... Well played, with really cutes arrangments and Distempos well created. Recommended to all RIO`s Fanatics!!

Greco Bastian

Otro muy buen disco de progresivo jodón. Jodón pero muy muy bueno!